GRILLED AUBERGINE AND GOAT'S CHEESE SALAD

I often rip out recipes of magazines for lovely salads but never cook them. However after the success of the puy lentil, spinach and blue cheese salad last week, I decided to try another new one. Arabella hates aubergines and so as she is at her father's house this weekend, I thought it was the perfect time to cook an aubergine based dish. 

This is a "healthy-ish" salad as chick peas are rich in folate, vitamin B6, thiamin, zinc and iron and it includes 2 of your 5 a day. Plus I read in the Sunday Times today that goat's cheese is a "healthier" cheese as is feta, manchego, Roquefort and buffalo mozzarella….any excuse to eat more cheese.

I made the recipe for just 2 people as a side dish but here it is 4.

Ingredients for 4 people:

2 aubergines (about 300g each)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or use the oil from the tomatoes)

150g goat's cheese, chopped

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram

190g sun drenched / sun dried tomatoes, drained

1 garlic clove, crushed

400g can chick peas, drained and rinsed

20g mint, leaves torn

Heat the grill to high.

Cut the aubergines into diagonal slices, about 2cm thick and score deeply on both sides. Brush with oil (I used the oil from the tomatoes), season generously and grill on a non stick baking tray for ten minutes.

Turn halfway and once again, brush with oil, season and cook for a further 10 minutes. I would advise checking on them as they can burn quickly (as you can see)!

While these are cooking, spread the chickpeas over a large serving plate and mash roughly with the back of a fork.

Chop the tomatoes and mix with the lemon juice, zest and garlic to create a dressing.

When the aubergines are cooked, add the goat's cheese and oregano and grill for a further two minutes.

Spoon two thirds of the dressing over the chickpeas.

Top with the aubergines, mint and then the remainder of the tomato dressing and enjoy.

This turned out a great deal better than I was expecting! Firstly it is really pretty and colourful to look at and secondly, it tasted absolutely delicious. An amazing combination of flavours especially with the lemon, mint and oregano and so simple to make. As I said we had it as a side but this would serve two as a main and I will definitely be serving it again with some flat breads and hummus. A perfect lunch idea for a spring / summer day.